Things to see and do Franche-Comté

The sentinel of the Battant neighborhood! Built under Louis XV from 1746 on the plans of the architect Nicolas Nicole, the Madeleine is a model of neoclassical architecture. With its large façade flanked by two square towers, which were completed in 1830, the building is very impressive. Inside, three naves follow in a harmonious set.

Connecting the city centre to the historic quarter of the same name, the Battant Bridge is located on the Grand-Rue axis. Once Roman way joining the provinces of Italy, it was a long bridge to cross the Doubs river. The stone building dating back to the Roman era was partially destroyed during the Second World war and today only the base of a pillar remains. On the left bank you can admire the unique architectural ensemble of the Vauban quay, which is crowned by the arcades of its th century houses.

The town hall of Besançon was completed in 1573 after almost two centuries of récurentes changes. Proud and royal, above its porch, you can admire the eagle of Besançon with both columns. On the right, the vast niche contained, until the Revolution, a bronze fountain representing Charles Quint overlapping a two-legged eagle; it is still surmounted by the motto «And to God». Finally, you can note that, on the embossed facade, the architect made the blue and beige veins of the besancon stone alterner to show graphic lines.

Founded in the fourth century, the current church was erected between 1782 and 1786 by architect Bertrand, according to projects by Victor Louis. The impressive height of its steeple is explained by its role as a belfry. The interior is equally imposing with its large columns. You also admire the woodwork that compose the choir, as well as works of art such as the Pietà de Luc Breton.

A recreation area that brings together many activities for the whole family: treetop with four courses, two dedicated to children, rollerbe, kart, mountain biking. In winter, glisse sports are set up and skaters can take advantage of the ice skating rink, while skiers will follow the slopes on the slopes! Snowshoe hiking trails are also marked. A great place to spend good moments with family. 

France's largest building in wood frame and insulation of straw, La Damassine is intended to be educational with raising public awareness of eco-construction and energy saving. It also aims to promote rural heritage, including through orchards and numerous animations around the cultivation of fruit trees, fauna and flora. The availability of facilities such as press, miellerie and professional kitchens allows everyone to benefit from wise advice for the maintenance of orchards, and to press fruit to make its juices. A unique and exceptional place to visit absolutely. 

Founded by Vauban in the th century, the citadel of Belfort reveals its most intimate secrets today… On the background of music, light games and video projections, expand in the fortifications at the rhythm of a playful and instructive quiz. Many of them will learn much more about the history of the city, on the genius of this famous engineer that was Vauban, or still on some characters to evocative names such as D'Artagnan, Colonel Denfert-Rochereau or Princess Catherine of Burgundy: All are linked to the places you explore…

Tariff: € 7 per adult, € 5 in reduced rates (students and senior), free for people under 18.

Duration: 2 h.

Difficulty: .

Michel Menin, the man who is the orchestra of the site, is full of ideas to make changes and improvements to this unique garden from one year to the next. His latest discovery is "L'Acroroche", a program for "kids" evolving between traditional and original workshops, zip lines with passages on rocky ledges and in the middle of the wall. Young and old alike are having a great time in this dishevelled area. Starting with the vegetable labyrinth of hornbeam that the landscape gardener-funambulist has created over more than 2.5 km. This playful journey is punctuated by deforming ice, sculptures, unusual objects and a mysterious cave. A great place in the heart of the countryside to spend an active day with family or friends without breaking the bank.

This building was built in the th century to host the Ursulines Convent, the nuns who devoted themselves to educating poor girls. Sold as a national property after the Revolution, he became a city hotel in 1802. From the convent, only the entrance of the chapel, dating from the th century, is located next to the current entrance of the city hall. Two stairs were erected in 1865. On the facade there is a crest bearing the coat of arms of the city. It represents a pelican mother opening the heart to feed her little ones. Gouttes blood drops from the bird's gosier. A currency accompanies the animal which is the emblem of the city: Sic my quos diligo that can be translated by «Thus do me for those whom I cherish». The municipality offers various exhibitions of artists or local crafts, as well as lectures, lectures and concerts.

From July 17 to September 8, 2017, the tourist office offers guided tours: "l'Hôtel-Dieu et ses apothicaireries", Tuesdays at 10am and Fridays at 3pm (appointments in front of the old gates); "L'Histoire du thermalisme", Mondays at 3pm; "le Vieux Lons à la fraîche", Mondays July 24 and August 24 at 7:30pm (appointments at the tourist office). All these guided tours are subject to a minimum of 3 participants. All year round, tours are offered from 5 people (adults), and on reservation: you will leave, accompanied, to discover the emblematic places of the Ledonian city and the Jura hillside area, whose little secrets are often ignored. Tailor-made visits can also be organised for small groups of 5 to 10 people.

The Tourist Office offers a wide range of services to help visitors prepare for their stay, including information on accommodation, restaurants, activities and ticketing. Tourist advisors are on hand to offer invaluable advice. Lons-le-Saunier is a spa town, but it's also a heritage city, with its arcades and the home of The Laughing Cow. It is also the capital of the Jura region, and nearby visitors can discover the vineyards or the listed village of Baume-les-Messieurs, with its caves, abbey and waterfall.

Are you looking for a typical Jura landscape, between the Pic de l'Aigle and the plateau of Champagnole? This glacial lake, set in a cirque with wooded slopes, offers sublime landscapes. With a surface area of 22 hectares (if peat bogs are taken into account), it is very deep. Its "black" waters, which intrigue and even worry some, spread over 700 metres long and 300 metres wide. It is very rich in whitefish, Arctic char, roaches, perch and other fish. Around 1170, Thibert de Montmorot founded a charterhouse closed in 1791 and converted it into a weapons factory. The western shoreline is made up of peat bogs. On the east bank, a path allows you to go for a walk and discover various landscapes: undergrowth, wet meadows, peat bogs, reeds, water lilies, rushes... The most courageous will walk to a lookout with a bird's eye view of the lake. The laziest will drive to the belvedere of La Ronde and its exceptional panorama: Pic de l'Aigle, Bonlieu, Ilay and Maclu lakes. Attention! The western shoreline is not trafficable.

The Marcel's have been a strange family for a few decades in Marcel Aymé's country. Some will say that some people are crazy, where good humour and farce are omnipresent. Constituted as an association, it is the meeting between a woodcarver and his supplier. The family is now large, with about a hundred wooden carved characters called the "Marcel's", in homage to the famous writer.... A rural family, too, which depicts life in the past, tells the story of the arrival of the train in the village, the legend of the Vouivre or that of the "Pacolets" that haunt the forest. Guided by a soundtrack, you can visit a castle and its medieval street. Further on, in the deep forest where the "Marcel's jalopy" takes you, a storyteller tells other stories. The 2019 program is provided:

2 formulas for groups from 10am to 6pm. They will take place on June 16, July 6, 20, 21, August 24 and 25, September 14 and 15. You will have a show at the castle, a visit to the Marcel's village, a show, a reconstruction of the life of the castle, a meal but also a trip in a "Marcel's tacot" in the heart of the forest.

Other highlights of the season will be fleas on August 4, a fondue party on October 19 and Christmas lights on December 14 and 21. Information by phone or on the site.

This is an authentic medieval mill whose first written records date back to 1486! It has been restored to water for about twenty years and has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1996. Miller and baker tell you with passion how flour is made on millstones: wheat, buckwheat and corn flour. To your choice! You then witness the production of natural sourdough breads, cakes and shortbreads baked in a wood-fired oven. So many good things available in the shop! A word of advice to gourmets: the mill also offers courses to learn how to make bread or brioche, with various formulas, especially for families, all in a very preserved setting. The mill continues to grow. A new room has been renovated to house a former turning mill and the arrival (in working order) of a 19th century threshing machine.

A contemporary monument that can be in an ancient city as Dole, which is of architectural interest some and deserves a deviates from the historic centre to discover it. This steel and concrete copper, nave, built between 1961 and 1964, thanks to the involvement of a large number of inhabitants, was designed by the architect Anton Korady. The railings are the work of Maurice Calka: they illustrate the battles of light and darkness, theme inspired by the text of the Apocalypse of Saint Jean. Architecture, the furniture and decor translate a can of openness to the world and time present.

This beautiful castle, which overlooks the village of Frontenay, is very far Away. It dates back to the th century. At that time, only the cellars remained. It was rebuilt in the th century and additions were made in the th and th centuries. Still inhabited by the descendants of Gauthier de Fallerans, equerry of the lords of Chalon-Arlay in the fifteenth, it is perfectly preserved. The castle, which has beautiful rooms (three lounges, a large hall and four rooms in the Donjon), welcomes groups in the hotel. A cave has been set up to worship Notre-Dame de Lourdes. Outsiders are open to pedestrians. At the foot of the castle you can see the Romanesque church Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, reworked in the th century. It is preceded by a boardwalk of trees, classified. Cultural events are organised in summer and throughout the year, including a jazz festival that will celebrate its 10 years in 2017. To find out more about the program, visit the castle website and visit August 24 - 26, 2017.

A leisure base and a very popular water area for their calm and cleanliness. You can choose to rest and relax on your towel, or practice one of the activities proposed: pedal boats, windsurfing, water skiing, canoeing… The three water plans offer enough choice to occupy the whole family. Welcome. Camping nearby (Tel: 03 81 86 90 87).

From the town of Fontenu you will reach Copperplate in the direction of Ilay, with a breathtaking view of Chalain lake.

Poligny was once protected by twenty-five towers and five doors. It should be remembered that its location was strategic and coveted: between the Plaine plain and the Jura. The inhabitants therefore protected themselves by building rectangular walls that lost all utility when Franche-Comté became French after the Treaty of Nijmegen in 1678. Many remains of these ramparts are still visible: the towers of Paradise and Sergenterie for example. They date back to the th century. The latter, recently restored, is a beautiful example of medieval fortification. Small reminder: Machicolated (the stones around the top of the tower) made it possible to pour boiling oil into the enemy. Note that the square tower, the so-called "tower of the Library", which today belongs to Friant lyceum (the former convent of Des), was also part of the ramparts. It dates back to the th century.

This is one of the city's jewels. This courtyard surrounded by 19 arcades houses what remains of a former convent founded in the th century by wealthy young girls. Imagine that this building was at the centre of an area that occupied the whole area at that time. There are no more nuns on these walls since the Revolution: The convent was divided into private apartments. But you can still admire the statue of the Virgin, the only remnant of the religious past of the places.

In these moss and pleasant woods, between Arbois and Champagnole, 234 prehistoric tombs have been discovered. These burial, rocks of stone or land that our ancestors raised above the tombs form one of the most beautiful funerary ensembles in Eastern France. Some of these necropolises date back to the th century… before our age!

On the municipality of Fontenu, view of the castle of Chalain.